Middlesbrough made two deadline day signings, with Sheffield United’s Ravel Morrison and Saint-Etienne’s Harold Moukoudi both arriving on loan deals and spoke about both players in his pre-match press conference
The Boro pair have spent just over a week training with their new club, and are both in line to make their debuts for their new club away at Brentford this Saturday.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Head Coach Jonathan Woodgate commented on how he’s found Moukoudi and Morrison’s first few days on Teesside and his first impressions of the duo.
“He’s a normal lad,” he said of Sheffield United loanee Ravel Morrison. “Give him a chance. A lot of footballers make mistakes, let’s gives him a break.”
Morrison has been a journeyman in his relatively short career, having played for nine clubs in the past six years, including the likes of Italian giants Lazio, Atlas in Mexico and Ostersunds FK in Sweden. Plenty of people have had their say on Morrison’s temperament and character, but Woodgate believes he can get the best out of the 27-year old.
The Boro boss explained that although Moukoudi’s deal went through on Deadline Day, the move wasn’t plain sailing and that the attempt to sign the Cameroon international had gone on for some time before he signed on the dotted line.
“We had to do some work with him” he revealed. “He’s a big lad strong, he’s as big as Rudy (Gestede). It was important that we got him.”
Moukoudi’s arrival was important given Middlesbrough’s defensive injury crisis. Dani Ayala, George Friend, Anfernee Dijksteel and Ryan Shotton are all on the treatment table at the moment, and Moukoudi could come straight into the fold this weekend as a result.
